Canada qualified for a Copa América on Saturday by beating Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in a play-off match played in Frisco, Texas.

The North American team will face current champions Argentina on June 20 in the opening match of the continental tournament in Group A, which also includes Chile and Peru.

The other ticket at stake for the Copa América will also be played this Saturday between Costa Rica and Honduras at Toyota Stadium in Frisco.

The playoff day began with a victory for Canada thanks to goals from Cyle Larin and Jacob Shaffelburg in the 61st and 90th minutes.

The team led by Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), who played the full 90 minutes, continues to progress after playing in its first World Cup in 36 years in Qatar in 2022, and reaching the final of the Concacaf Nations League in 2023.

“It means a lot to us as a team, I'm happy to have scored and advanced to the Copa América,” Cyle Larin said after the victory.

“It was a good performance from the boys. We knew it would be difficult to beat them, but we held on, stayed united and got the victory,” he stressed.

Against Trinidad and Tobago, who were also battling for their first appearance in the Copa América, it took Canada 61 minutes of domination to take the lead thanks to Larin's opening goal. The Spanish striker from Mallorca culminated a combination of the Canadian attack with a tight cross shot.

In injury time, substitute Jacob Shaffelburg, a winger for MLS Nashville, sealed the deal by completing a counterattack with a powerful left-footed shot.

Canada will thus be the rival of Lionel Messi's Argentina in Atlanta (Georgia) during the opening match of the Copa América, which will be played throughout the United States until the final on July 14 in Miami (Florida). .

The Conmebol Championship was expanded this year to include six Concacaf teams, of which the United States, Mexico, Panama and Jamaica had already qualified.

The winner of the other play-off between Costa Rica and Honduras, which began at 6:15 p.m. local time (11:15 p.m. GMT), will join Group D of the tournament and will be Brazil's first opponent on June 24 in Los Angeles, California. ).

Colombia and Paraguay are the other teams in this category.

SEE ALSO: Copa América venues set

BACK TO COVER